Web lead for printing machines



Feb. 28, 1933; H v BALL 11,899,226`

WEB lLEAD FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l s /f M Feb. 28, 1933. H. v BALL 1,899,226

WEB LEAD FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,4,0 paper webs.

Patented: Feb. 28, `1933 j UNITE-D, STATES NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PATENT OFFICE f HARRY V. BALL, OF` CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOR. HOE & CO., INC., OF

WEB LEAD FOR PRINTING MACHINES Appncatmnmea August@ 2o, 1931. seriai- No. 558,389.

This invention relates `to web leads for printing machines, having for itsl primary object to -provide means 'whereby in, multi-V unit printing presses the paper rollsmay be 5 made to expire at approximately the same time, thus obviating thevloss of many papers as is now occasioned when it becomes necessary to introduce new rolls `of paper to the printing units.

il@ A further object ofthe invention is to provide means associated withy a multi-unit printing machine wherebywhen it becomes necessary to make'V a roll change, only one stop of the machinery is necessary, whereby in addition to the saving of waste papers,

veconomy of running time is obtained.'y

Withthese objects in view, together lwith others which` will appear as the description proceeds, the Dinvention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangements disclosing the relative positions of the joints:

of paper delivered from the three printing units, j 'f f.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view cfa lportion of 3,5 a folded paper deliveredfrom the press and joints, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view disclosing the 1ocation of other pointsfof connection of the illustrating the location vof some of the paper It will be understood that lin printing presses when a paper roll expires it becomes necessary to either stop or materially slow down the press so that a new roll may be 4 5 swungV vinto ypositionand, its exposed J"end pasted to the endof "the expiring roll,to produce a continuity of web." When, this occurs, the printed paper. having the pasted seam of the connectedxweb's is discarded' 20 for obvious reasons, and 1t 1s at once apparentl that in instances where a number of paper rolls are employed,*such as in multiunit presses, the wastefof printed papers is materiahbecause of the fact that the paper rolls do not all expire atthe same time. Not j only is this loss objectionable from theistandlpoint of discarded papers,ibut also in the loss of time incident to the more frequent slow-` ing down or stopping of the press in order that the web connections'mayy be effected.

The present invention vrseeks to vovercome the objections noted, and while the present disclosure is but one preferred-embodiment of the. invention, I am aware that the same general results may be accomplished by re#A sorting to mechanism or means differing from that herein disclosed.

y:Referring now tothe drawings, the pressv diagrammatically shown includes `three printing units which are designated A, B and C respectively, each of which is supplied with paper taken from the rolls D, E andxF mounted beneath or in close proximity to their respective printing units. The webs of paper 5, 6 land 7 pass `from the several print-y ing unitsy and are led to a folder Gr of conventional form arranged near one end ofthe complishing this result, the 4unit A, which is farthest removed from the folder, has its web 5 passing to the folder in substantially a straight line, rollers or guidesk 8' being `employed in the proper conveyance of this web.

As the printing unit B is somewhat nearerL to the folder than the unit A, it becomes necessary vto elongate the web run from this printing unit to the folder in order that the said webrun may correspond substantially with that ofthe unit A. In accomplishing this, guide rolls 9 are `arranged above the printing unit B and between the latter and the folder in such manner that the web will pass from the unit toward the folder and then will double back toward the printing unit again and then forwardly in substantially a direct line to the folder; the distortion shown maling the web run from the unit B to the folder Cr substantially equal to that between the unit A and the'said folder. As the unit C is more closely associated with the folder than eith-er of the printing units A and B, it becomes necessary to elongate or increase the path of travel of the web leading from the said unit C to the folder, and this is accomplished by varranging'the guide rolls 10 substantially as shown; the web. 7 upon leaving the unit C passing first rearwardly in the direction of unit B, then forwardly in a sti-aight line toward the folder, then doubling back in the direction of the unit C, and then passing over suitableV guides for delivery to `the folder.

By arranging the several guide rolls for the respective printing units in the manner disclosed, the webs passing thereover will be all of the saine or substantially equal length, and it will be understood that where paper rolls of .substantially identical size are used, the same will expire at approximately the same time. Upon expiration of a roll, the roll holders are swung so as to bring the new rolls into position, whereupon the end of the new roll for each printing unit is pasted to the tail end of the expiring web and the operation of the press proceeds. The doubled or pasted endsv of the several webs will therefore occur at substantially the same point in a folded paper, so that it will be necessary only to `discard those folded papers containing the adhered portions. As this occurs in only7 one or two folded papers, the'loss of completed papers is decidedly few.

Fig. 2 shows the relative positions of the joints in the three webs 5, 6 and 7 as delivered from the printing units. It will be noted that these joints are slightly staggered, which is desirable, in order to avoid running an excessive thickness of paper through the cutting or folding mechanism which would occur if the `iemts corresponded exactly. The arrangement is such, however,that the three yjoints all occur within the length of two papers lengthwise of the web, of which one is shown in Fig. 3 and the other in Fig. 4. In Fig. 2, the spaces between the arrow heads at 11 and 12 indicates the length ofsuccessive pages, while the dotted lines 13 and 14 represent the lines of fold of these pages. It is apparent, therefore that when cut apart and f folded uponV the lines 13 'and 14, the web `joints in the folded paper will occur approximately` as is represented in Figs. 3 and 4, in staggered relation so as not to subject the cut* ting and folding mechanism to an excessive l paper thickness.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a press equipped with means such as empioyed for equalizing the web runs from the several printing mechanisms to the folder, the objects set forth will have been accomplished, and while the foregoing is a description of the invention in its preferred embodiment, I am nevertheless aware that variations in this structure and specific means may be resorted to for the accomplishment of similar results without departing from the spirit of my invention.

.Having thus described my invention, I claim 1.4 In a printing press, the combination with a pair of printing units and a folder; of means interposed betweensaid folder and one of said units whereby a web traveling therethrough will be of the same length as a web from the other unit to said folder.

2. In a printing press, the combination with a plurality of printing units and a folder; of means interposed between said folder and each unit whereby the web run between all of said units and said folder will be equal.

3. In a printing press,v a folder, a plurality of printing units disposed at varying disstanees from said folder, and means interposed between said folder and said units whereby web runs therebetween will be substantially equal.

4. In a printingpress, a'frame, a folder on said frame, a plurality of printing units on said frame arranged at varying distances from said folder, a series of web guides interposed between each unit and said folder, said guides arranged so that the web length between each unit and said folder will be substantially equal.

5. In a printing press, a frame, a folder on I ,one end of said frame, a plurality of printing l units Von said frame located at varying distances from saidk folder, and series of guide rolls corresponding 1n number to said units -supported by said frame; the rolls of each series being so arranged that webs passing over the same from their respective units to lsaid folder will be of substantially equal length.

7. In a printing press, the combination with a pairof paper rolls and a folder; of means y,interposed between said folder and rolls whereby the webs traveling therethrough to the folder will be of equal length.

8. In a printing press, the combination with a plurality of paper rolls and a folder, of means interposed between said folder and each roll whereby the web runbetween all of said rolls and said folder will be equal.v

9. In a printing press, the combination with a folder and a plurality of paper rolls arranged at varying distances from the folder, of a series of web guides interposed between each Vroll and said folder, saidv guides arranged so that the web length between each roll and said folder will be substantially equal.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

v HARRY V. BALL. 

